Two Questions in Light of Charlie Kirk’s Murder
Dear EBC Family,
I was off-grid in Idaho all last week as I joined our missionaries, Ollie and Mia O’Brien, on the first week of Adventure Bible School. I served as the Bible teacher for a group of college-age students, teaching about trees in Scripture (what else?) as we floated 63 miles over six days down the lower Salmon River into the Snake River. Yes, mission trips are not all created equal, and this one was as sweet as I can imagine.
Arriving home was especially sweet after a week away, and Kristin mercifully waited an hour before getting me up to speed on Charlie Kirk’s assassination. For a moment, I longed for the wilderness and the relative bliss of ignorance. Nevertheless, I joined everyone else in pondering the grim state of our nation and our calling as believers. It is hard enough to face the reality there is an increasing number of people in our country willing to murder those they hate. But it is far more disturbing to reckon with the thousands of people raucously celebrating Charlie’s murder.
How sick are we? How far will we sink? And what can we do in the face of this evil tide?
The Sunday worship gathering was deeply medicinal for Kristin and me, and we thank God for the wise leadership helping us process this dark episode with the Lord. I have read helpful posts as well that have further shaped my thinking. Two key questions have arisen in my heart as especially important going forward from here.
Are you prepared to suffer with Christ? Charlie’s murder was not a random act of evil, but an expression of hatred toward his biblical beliefs and values. In a word: persecution. Jesus warned us it would be so. “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” (John 15:20) Jesus told people who wished to be his disciples to ‘take up their cross’ and follow him. (Matthew 16:24) The apostle Paul said that anyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ will be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12) Many of Charlie’s detractors said he had this coming to him because of his bold stance on biblical values. It is a sick thing to say, but in a strange way, they were right. When Charlie decided to follow Jesus, he accepted the call to suffer with his Savior. This evil moment should cause us to ask, “Am I prepared to suffer for Christ?”
Are you prepared to love those who hate you? The way of the world is to return evil for evil, but Jesus turned the world on its head. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:43–44)
As you see images of the accused, do you love him? As you watch footage of people dancing and celebrating Charlie’s murder, do you love them? Or do you wish they would get a dose of their own medicine?
If our love is limited to those we admire, Jesus said we are no different from criminals. If we cannot love those who are persecuting our brothers and sisters, how will we love them when we ourselves are persecuted? Believers in the first century were so devoted to Jesus that they “sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of [their] property, because [they] knew [they] had better and lasting possessions.” (Hebrews 10:34) Only when we love our enemies will the gospel be properly authenticated.
The rising tide of evil grieves our hearts, and we lament the darkness of these days. But our opportunity to imitate our Savior is more compelling than ever and Jesus is calling us to embrace it. As you watch news updates, talk with others, and simply monitor your own heart, I pray you will let the Savior lead you.
Pastor Toby
Categories: Evergreen Connection